Nose piercing is the second most popular form of body piercing after earlobe piercing. If you are thinking about getting a nose piecing, it might interest you to know how long it takes for a nose piercing to heal. This article will not only look at the general healing time expected for different types of piercings on the nose but also explain why its healing time is relatively longer than that of other forms of piercing. In addition we’ll discuss some helpful ways in which you can minimize the a newly pierced nose healing time.
Nose Piercing Healing Time
Unlike navel and ear piercing which are done on flesh or fatty tissues, nose piercing is done on cartilage which doesn’t heal the same way as flesh. Consequently, piercing on the nose take relatively longer to heal and are more susceptible to complications especially if proper piercing aftercare is not observed.
Nose piercing healing time is one of the nose controversial topics online with some people holding that a piercing on the nose will heal in less than two weeks and others maintaining that healing can take up to six months.
For the sake of clarification we’ll break down the healing process into two categories namely:
- Clearing away of obvious nose symptoms that may come after your pierce your nose and
- Full healing of the pierced nose
Obvious symptoms of nose piercings such as swelling, tenderness and redness in the skin around the piercing typically clears away in 10 to 15 days especially if proper aftercare measures are strictly observed.
As for the latter, the time frame varies depending on the type of nose piercing; that is depending on where the piercing is located on the nose. There are two main types in this context, namely, nostril piercing and septum piercing.
A nostril piercing (a piercing done on the outside of the nose in the area between the cheeks and the nose tip) typically heals completely in 2 to 4 months. A septum piercing (a piercing in the cartilaginous tissue separating the right and the left nostril) on the other hand takes a bit longer to heal completely, normally between 6 and 8 months.
It is highly recommended that you leave your nose jewelry (stud, ring, or screw) intact during the healing process as changing it too soon can lead to irritation and infection, and probably extend the healing time considerably.
During the nose piercing healing time, it is normal for the pierced are to bleed, swell, and appear tender and reddened. As the healing process progresses, the piercing may appear pink in color, form crusts, have light whitish-yellow discharge (not pus though unless it is infected) and itch a bit.
All these could be observed even after it appears healed looking from the outside. Remember healing proceeds from the outside in and the inside of the nose may still be healing up.
How Long Does It Take For Nose Piercings to Heal
The question “how long does it take for nose piercings to heal?” appears very often in online forums. As we have said the time frame for a newly pierced nose to completely heal varies from 2 to 4 months for nostril piercing and 6 to 8 months for septum piercings.
Swelling and other symptoms that appear immediately after the piercing is done however normally go away in 10 to 15 days.
This is the average time it takes for a newly pierced nose to heal but it could be shorter or longer for some people. For example, if proper aftercare measures are not taken, including ensuring proper hygiene regime, preventing trauma on the piercing and avoiding tugging at the jewelry, the healing time can be much longer.
In a nutshell, how long it takes for a nose piercing to heal depends to a large extent on your initiative in as far as caring for the piercing is concerned.
Nostril Piercing Healing Time – How To Minimize It
Choose appropriate jewelry: the quality of the jewelry you use can have a significant impact on the length of the nostril piercing healing time. Stainless steel, niobium and titanium jewelry are the best in prevention of infection and ensuring a smooth healing process.
While some piercers might offer free studs and rings as part of their package, you should ideally go for higher quality ones made of the above mentioned materials even though they might cost you a bit more.
Nose rings also render themselves to faster healing than nose bones or studs and nose screws. It is also advisable to ensure that the nose ring doesn’t fit too tight as this can also delay the healing process.
Don’t change the ring too soon: You might want to change from a nose ring to a nose bone or any other type of nose piercing. You might also want to change to smaller or larger diameter stud or ring, or a different colored version of the same jewelry you are wearing.
However, changing the nose jewelry too soon can cause an infection and extend the healing time. Put off changing the jewelry to at least 4 weeks (but 2 months is the most appropriate time). Even then, listen to your piercing. If it feels painful trying to remove the stud or ring it could simply be telling you that it still need some more time to heal up.
Observe proper aftercare for your nose piercing: Any professional piercer will advise you on how to take care of your piercing as it heals. Observe them carefully to shorten the healing time. We have also shared numerous piercing on the nose aftercare measures here.
Do Nose Piercings Close Up After Healing?
We have all along been saying that you shouldn’t remove your piercing during the healing time to not only avoid infections but also to avoid close up especially given the fact that a piercing on the nose of less than four weeks closes up in less that 24 hours if the ring or stud is removed.
The question then is, “Do nose piercings close up after healing?” The answer is “yes”; piercings on the nose close up after some time if they are left without a stud, ring or screw.
If you have to remove the jewelry you are wearing on the piercing on the nose for whatever reason, e.g. a new job or moving in with your granny, you should consider putting on a retainer to prevent the it from closing up.
I had my nose pierced for about 20+years and had to take it out. It has been out for about a month and know I want to put it back in. I’m have a problem with getting it in. Would it have closed up. Need advise. I have never taken it out till now..
I’m getting my nose pierced tomorrow and I’m so scared .
lol I’ve gotten my lip and belly button out of those two my belly button hurt the worst , I have a really high pain tolerance I just don’t know about getting my nose done and how I am going to react . Any advice Dm me on instagram >>>> xmmiio <<<<<
Thank you
Hey instead of doing sea salt soaks you can use contact lense solution. It’s similar and is sterilized, just clean you nose piercing with that and a cue tip. Also make sure your hands are clean and have been washed before doing so. This method is much easier and works.
I could have sworn I read you can use lavender oil for healing. Is this correct?
You should NEVER clean your piercings with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Neither are meant for internal use, can be unnecessarily painful, can cause tissue damage, and are not real medical treatments for open wounds. Saline (salt water) is fine to clean or soak with but antibacterial soap is perfect for wound cleaning and it’s very easy to use. Avoid playing with your piercing. No twisting or pulling. Wait at least 2-4 months before removing or replacing your ring/stud otherwise it can cause major tenderness, swelling, bleeding, and bumps at the edge of the piercing. Always clean your hands before you clean your piercing. I keep antibacterial hand soap in my shower, wash my hands with it, and then put a small pump on my piercing, leave it for 30-60 seconds, rinse clean. I have always used antibacterial soap on all my piercings and it works 100% of the time. I’m also a first aid/wound care specialist who has been getting piercings since I was 18 years old. Antibacterial soap can ward off infection, help the healing process, and help to cure mild infections. If you are experiencing redness, swelling, flaking, tenderness, bleeding … continue to clean with antibacterial soap every day, treat with tea tree oil on a Q-tip, and always avoid touching or playing with it. If you avoid touching your piercing, clean it daily, and use tea tree oil as preventative measures you should be fine.
I pierced my nose in December 2013. Took it out and it closed, so I repierced it in February 2014 and now it’s 2016 and I still feel some swelling and puss after wearing makeup. What should I do
I had mine with done on Monday with a plastic stud, (I have allergies to many metals) and on the first day it bled once I’ve got home, I clean it with a spray and cottenbuds, I just wanted to check if each time I clean away dry blood that it’s normal for if to rescab? And should I leave it and just keep spraying it instead?
Heya I got my nose pierced in 2014 and I feel like it’s never fully healed , I just got a new stud and ring just a few days ago from the piercing shop and I tried the new stud on for a day n I changed it to the ring the next day . Yesterday I started to notice that it’s red and a little bit of white/yellow discharge came out so I kept doing my sea salt water washes and I’m worried the skin will start to heal around the ring and I won’t be able to change it to a stud again what should I do???
Ps. I’m not sure if this affects anything or not but when I got my nose pierced after a week it got pulled out so the very next day I got it done again.
Thanks . It would be nice if someone could help me out
I’ve had mine done for four weeks now and I’m getting my ring to change it this weekend is raised skin around the piercing hole normal on the outside of my nose? Is it part of the healing process the piercer that did mine said 4 to 6 weeks not 2 to 4 months
My nose piercing has healed but it left a black mark. How do I get rid of it?